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Lawrence Woodley - Eskdale, The Lake District, 1953
I was sent on a 4 week course in August '53 by my school and didn't have any idea what was involved. It started with a ?7 hour jiurney up from Euston followed by a trip on the Ratty Railway to Eskdale Green.
I still have the diary I kept and I recall particularly having to run round the Tarn each morning before stripping off and jumping in and then running back to the dormitory to get dressed for breakfast.
The Warden was Eric Shipton who had devised the route up Everest which had been climbed in the June of that year. We were given a slide show of the various exploits.
I celebrated my birthday on the course and the kitchen made me a cake. I also was sent my 'O' level results whilst there and they were very disappointing. I had to re-sit a lot but wasn't allowed to progress to 'A' levels, though.
One of our tasks was to get to Gretna Green under our own steam and return with a piece of shortcake made North of the Border. We achieved this (just two of us) by walking and hitchhiking within the 24 hour deadline.
As a footnote, my daughter subsequently trained to teach at Eskdale in the past few years so completing the circle!!
I still have the diary I kept and I recall particularly having to run round the Tarn each morning before stripping off and jumping in and then running back to the dormitory to get dressed for breakfast.
The Warden was Eric Shipton who had devised the route up Everest which had been climbed in the June of that year. We were given a slide show of the various exploits.
I celebrated my birthday on the course and the kitchen made me a cake. I also was sent my 'O' level results whilst there and they were very disappointing. I had to re-sit a lot but wasn't allowed to progress to 'A' levels, though.
One of our tasks was to get to Gretna Green under our own steam and return with a piece of shortcake made North of the Border. We achieved this (just two of us) by walking and hitchhiking within the 24 hour deadline.
As a footnote, my daughter subsequently trained to teach at Eskdale in the past few years so completing the circle!!